Macbook headphone jack problem

[erupshaun]

SO i just recently bought a macbook (switching from windows for the first time and loving it!(so far)). and now i've just written a kickass song on my computer, to find out my headphone jack has flaked out! so i'm stuck listning to my new song on the built in laptop speakers . when i plug it into exterior speakers, or headphones, via the headphone jack, there seems to be no signal coming through. i cannot remember any instance where the plug may have been hit or broken, seeing as it's only been sitting on my desk.
any help would be appreciated

p.s. i know there are a dozen topics already on this problem, but for some reason i'm not allowed to view them when i click on them

[VirtualTracy]

This is an issue I've seen several times before but usually there is no sound coming out of the speakers at all .... the common denominator is the headphone jack, though ...

Open up Sys Prefs and click on:

Sound ~> Output.

Look at the "Choose a device for sound output" window as you plug your headphone/ext spkr jack in. Does the Sound Output listing change from 'Internal Speakers' to 'Headphones'?

The usual remedy for this issue is to jiggle the headphone jack slightly to try to toggle the little switch that's inside (to detect the presence of a jack) but I'm not sure that it would help here ....

[saadat]

My headphones dont work even...even though when i insert the headphone pin into the jack, the sound from the laptop speakers stops and the output is shown as headphones..but no sound comes thru the headphones..also the headphone work with my ipod n iphone... plz tell me where the problem can b coz i am convinced that the problem lies with the settings

[VirtualTracy]

Originally Posted by saadat

My headphones dont work even...even though when i insert the headphone pin into the jack, the sound from the laptop speakers stops and the output is shown as headphones..but no sound comes thru the headphones..also the headphone work with my ipod n iphone... plz tell me where the problem can b coz i am convinced that the problem lies with the settings

Has this issue always been present ever since you first received your Mac, and which model Mac/Mac OS version?

If this is a relatively new issue, do you have any idea what you did prior to this issue? Could it be related to a recent Software update?

Ok, here are some steps to consider:

1. Is there a volume slider in System Prefs you can adjust?

2. Have you a set of powered external speakers you can try?

3. Have you tried another set of headphones?

4. Put in your Installation disk, boot from cd, run disk utilities, and repair disk.

5. Have you tried booting with the headphones plug in the socket

6. Have you tried OnyX, to clean your system and User cache files. It's free to download. Just make sure you get the right version for your OS and when you have it installed, click on the "Automation" tab, check the boxes and run it.

Here's more info about OnyX and the different version links are at the bottom of the page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OnyX

Try this:

Go into the folder Applications/Utilities & open the "Audio MIDI Setup" app. Click on the Audio Devices Tab. Check out what your settings are up against mine.

Link to picture of my Audio/Midi setup prefs

Just check that there isn't a tick in the "mute" checkbox on Audio Output Master and if there is, then deselect it/them.


Here's another troubleshooting sequence you could try, don't know if you ever see a red light on inside the jack ... however, here's the rundown:

1. Play a song so the red light comes on.

2. Get a tooth pick and insert it into the headphone jack.

3. Push gently so the end of the tooth pick is touching the bottom inside the headphone jack.

4. take the side of the tooth pick and press it against the side of the head phone jack will still keeping the end of the tooth pick pressed on the bottom. Wiggle it around and around. Be patient with it. The important thing is to make sure the end of the tooth pick is always touching the bottom of the inside of the headphone jack. You will wiggle it around for up to 15 minutes (Usually a lot quicker) until the red light goes off.

5. Disclaimer: Your speakers will be fixed but there is the possibility that if you plug your head phones into the jack and you pull them out carelessly, you will go back to square one and have to start over.

The following sounds like voodoo but it might work:

delete your copy of QuickTime Player (Applications), download a new copy from Apple, and install it directly (not using the system upgrade utility).

I found this:

I read that you could plug headphones in and out a few times - this didn't work. I then read that you can use a q-tip with the cotton cut off to reset the computers headphone jack (there's some sort of switch in the headphone jack that has your sound going out digitally instead of to the internal speakers) - it didn't work. I then read that blowing compressed air into the headphone jack might work. Well, I just blew really hard & quick into the headphone jack (like blowing out a birthday candle) and it worked?

Here are some things you can try as well:

1. Resetting your Mac's PRAM and NVRAM

2. Apple Portables: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)]

Both Apple tips have been know to have solved issues similar to yours so here's hoping ...

Lastly, some have reported that an Archive & Install seemed to fix things too. This type of installation preserves your user files/docs etc. You can read more about it here:

Mac OS X: About the Archive and Install feature

I know there's a lot there to work through ... see how you go with it, and please let me know how it goes .... good luck with it


.

[saadat]

thnks for replying... i tried everything except for tootpick thing...how much time do i need to put it in...i did it but cud not find any light there? plz tell me the duration for which i need to put the tootpick in the audio jack..

regards

[Hughvane]

A couple of seconds, and wiggle/twirl it inside the audio port, but seriously, I'd recommend a dummy jack rather than a toothpick because you risk leaving wood fragments in there. Dummy jacks can come from almost any source, like one cut off the end of a discarded audio cable. They're used for muting speakers for example, and when using an external microphone, so you don't get feedback squeal. You could use your headphone jack and work it around inside the audio port, but have the volume turned right down or sound on mute.

[philclar]

just wanted to share my experience. i have the same problem with a brand new 2009 aluminum macbook. the headphone wouldn't fit all the way in. i read somewhere that the headphone jack is tight and to just push it a little harder. i push the headphone in and heard a crunch. i pulled the headphone jack out and had an o crap moment. i then saw the red light and no sound from the speaker. I used a paper clip, the kind with a plastic covering and twirl it around the headphone jack and some white power starting coming out, kinda like broken plastic or fiber glass. i completely cleaned the jack out and plug the headphones in and it worked. unplugged it and the speakers worked. seems like the headphone jack maker didnt completely clean out the cast and left some molding or plastic in it.

[keshavanbp]

HI VirtualTracy et al,

I'm using a MacBook with OSX 10.4.10.

Recently I was trying to interface it to my LDC TV through the HDMI. But something went wrong while attempting to connect the audio output.

After that event I used to see a red-light glowing in the audio output. I could listen to audio throught the headphones but not through the built-in speakers.

The following steps solved the problem, I'm able to, now, listen to the audio throught built-in speakers.

Thanks to all for the useful tips.

Cheers,
Keshavan


Here's another troubleshooting sequence you could try, don't know if you ever see a red light on inside the jack ... however, here's the rundown:
1. Play a song so the red light comes on.

2. Get a tooth pick and insert it into the headphone jack.

3. Push gently so the end of the tooth pick is touching the bottom inside the headphone jack.

4. take the side of the tooth pick and press it against the side of the head phone jack will still keeping the end of the tooth pick pressed on the bottom. Wiggle it around and around. Be patient with it. The important thing is to make sure the end of the tooth pick is always touching the bottom of the inside of the headphone jack. You will wiggle it around for up to 15 minutes (Usually a lot quicker) until the red light goes off.

5. Disclaimer: Your speakers will be fixed but there is the possibility that if you plug your head phones into the jack and you pull them out carelessly, you will go back to square one and have to start over.